Uber gets go-ahead in London, but halts in Pittsburgh

In Washington, D.C., Brendan Kownacki gets into an UberBlack car. The company is now offering service in Napa and Palm Springs. (Photo by Linda Davidson / The Washington Post via Getty Images)

In its dozens of simultaneous battles to operate in cities and countries across the world, Uber continues to win some and lose some.

The latest examples: Just this week, London gave the San Francisco on-demand ride service the green light. But Pittsburgh put the brakes on.

On Thursday, London’s transport regulator said that Uber can legally operate in the city, according to the New York Times. The ruling followed a regionwide protest by thousands of taxi drivers in Europe, who accused the service of not complying with local rules and not paying enough taxes in the cities where it operates.

But on Tuesday in Pittsburgh, on the other side of the world, Uber and Lyft were issued a cease-and-desist order and must immediately stop operations in that city, according to the Pittsburgh Business Times. They must do until they secure the appropriate authority from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, which is reviewing the matter.

Uber, which allows users to hail a ride through a smartphone app, operates in more than 100 cities in 39 countries. The company says it gives customers greater choice and ease when booking a taxi compared to traditional taxi cabs. It’s had a tense time negotiating regulations in California, where, most recently, the Public Utilities Commission threatened to revoke permits from UberX, Lyft, Sidecar, Summon and Wingz unless they stopped giving rides to and from airports.